MISSIONS TO URANUS AND NEPTUNE

NASA reports suggest several possible future spacecraft to the ice giants

1 Neptune orbiter with probe Launch date: 2030s Mission length: 15 years A minimum 50-kilogram science payload would be required for a mission to Neptune. This would include both the orbiter and probe’s science packages. The orbiter would study Neptune’s moons – particularly Triton, which is a captured Kuiper Belt object. It would also study Neptune’s weather systems, magnetosphere and solar wind particles at this distance. The atmospheric probe would be required to accurately measure the abundance of noble gases, including hydrogen and helium, and other elements. 2 Uranus orbiter only Launch date: 2030s Mission length: 15 years This would weigh three times as much as the other concepts, but carry five times as many instruments. Alongside a narrow-angle camera and instruments for measuring magnetic fields and interior atmospheric structure,…

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All About Space Annual (Digital) - 1 Issue, All About Space Annual (2024)

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